It is necessary to move the weapon of a vehicle, such as a cannon or a gun of a tank, a sub-machine gun on an armored vehicle, and the like, in order to place the weapon at the desired firing position. Systems and methods for changing the firing position of such a weapon are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,446 issued to Magnuson, and entitled “Linkage of Actuating System for Elevating Gun Mount”, is directed to a mechanism for elevating a gun from a tracked military vehicle. The mechanism includes a bracket secured to a turret of the tracked military vehicle, a lever, a first power cylinder, a second power cylinder, and a toggle linkage. The toggle linkage includes a relatively long link and a relatively short link. The bracket includes a first bracket pivot connection, a second bracket pivot connection and a third bracket pivot connection. The relatively short link includes a first short link pivot connection, a second short link pivot connection and a third short link pivot connection. The relatively long link includes a first long link pivot connection and a second long link pivot connection. The lever includes a first lever pivot connection and, second lever pivot connection and a third lever pivot connection. A receiver of the gun includes a first receiver pivot connection and a second receiver pivot connection.
The first lever pivot connection is connected to the first bracket pivot connection with a first pin. The second lever pivot connection is connected to the second short link pivot connection and to the first receiver portion of the gun, by a second pin. A first cylinder connection of the first power cylinder is connected to the third bracket pivot connection by a third pin. A first piston rod connection of the first power cylinder is connected to the third lever pivot connection by a fourth pin. A second cylinder connection of the second power cylinder is connected to the third short link pivot connection by a fifth pin. A second piston rod connection of the second power cylinder is connected to the second receiver connection by a sixth pin. The first long link pivot connection is connected to the first short link pivot connection by a seventh pin. The second long link pivot connection is connected to the second bracket pivot connection by an eighth pin.
The imaginary horizontal planes of the first short link connection and the second short link connection are spaced apart by a first vertical spacing. The imaginary horizontal planes of the third short link pivot connection and the second receiver pivot connection are spaced apart by a second vertical spacing. The mechanism is constructed such that the first vertical spacing is the same as the second vertical spacing. In order to raise the gun vertically above the turret and maintaining the gun horizontal, the first power cylinder is activated and the second power cylinder is de-activated. In order to change the elevation of the gun, the second power cylinder is activated and the first power cylinder is de-activated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,772 issued to Eggers et al., and entitled “Large-Bore Twin-Weapon System for Combat Vehicles”, is directed to a system for lifting a carrier of two weapons of a combat vehicle. The system includes the carrier, a first pivot, a second pivot, a third pivot, lifting means, aiming drives, a main support bearing, a step bearing, a journal, an eccentrically formed bearing ring, a first support arm, a second support arm and a hydro-accumulator.
The two weapons are supported rotatably at the carrier. The first pivot and the second pivot are connected to the carrier by the first support arm and the second support arm, respectively. The first pivot and the second pivot are connected to the combat vehicle. The lifting means is connected to the carrier, to the third pivot and to the hydro-accumulator. The third pivot is connected to the combat vehicle. The aiming drives, the main support bearing, the step bearing and the journal are located within the carrier. The aiming drive is located between the main support bearing and the step bearing. The journal is connected to the weapon and to the aiming drive.
The position of the journal and the weapon are altered when the eccentrically formed bearing ring of the step bearing is rotated. In this manner the weapons are point-aimable to a predetermined distance. The aiming drive transmits a torque to the journal for changing the elevation of the weapon. The first pivot and the second pivot are located on a first rotating axis, and the third pivot is located on a second rotating axis. The carrier and the weapons are lifted by the action of the hydro-accumulator, the lifting means and the third pivot. Each weapon is height-aimable independently. The lateral aiming of the weapons is affected by rotation of the combat vehicle about a height axis, or by a rotary device on the combat vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,230 issued to LeBlanc and entitled “Weapon System”, is directed to a manually operated multiple weapon system for an armored vehicle turret. The system includes a main gun, a coaxial machine gun, two four barrel automatic grenade launchers, a turret, a basket assembly, a rotor mounting assembly and a hydraulic cylinder means. The turret is mounted on a roof portion of the armored vehicle. The basket assembly depends from the turret. The rotor mounting assembly is mounted to the turret. The main gun, the coaxial machine gun and the automatic grenade launchers are attached to the rotor mounting assembly.
The basket assembly accommodates a gunner and a commander. The basket assembly includes an ammunition storage box for feeding ammunition to the main gun, linked ejection chutes, a compartment and a manual elevation and trigger assembly. The linked ejection chutes guide the ejected ammunition links from the main gun through the rotor mounting assembly, into the compartment. The compartment opens to the outside of the armored vehicle for ejection of the propellant gases and the brass and rounds of the main gun. A machine gun ammunition storage box is positioned in the turret for feeding ammunition to the coaxial machine gun, through machine gun feed chutes. The hydraulic cylinder means is pivotally attached to the rotor mounting assembly and to the turret. The extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder means rotates the rotor mounting assembly.
The manual elevation and trigger assembly includes a handle, a pump, a gear box assembly and a trigger button. By operating the manual elevation and trigger assembly, the gunner manually elevates and fires the main gun. As the handle is turned, the gear box assembly is turned, thereby activating the pump and pressurizing the hydraulic cylinder means. When the trigger button is depressed the main gun fires, and when the trigger button is released, the firing stops.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,127 issued to Whitting and entitled “Fire Control System for a Vehicle or Vessel”, is directed to a fire control system for a vehicle to compensate for the roll, pitch and yaw motions of the vehicle, and provide the true target motion to the gun, despite the gun recoil and the rocking motions of the vehicle driving on hilly ground. The vehicle is fitted with a spring-suspended chassis on pneumatic tires.
The fire control system includes a turret, a gun, a target tracking unit, a plurality of servo control units, reference orientation means, a plurality of angle data transmitters, a data processor and a fire control computer. The target tracking unit includes a radar tracking apparatus, a laser range detector, an infrared tracking unit, a TV tracking unit and optical detection means. The fire control computer includes an aiming point generator, a first coordinate conversion unit and a transformation unit.
The gun is mounted on the turret. The turret is rotatable about a first axis perpendicular to a roof of the vehicle. The gun is movable in elevation about a second axis parallel to the roof. The target tracking unit is biaxially connected with the turret. The target tracking unit can rotate about a third axis parallel or coaxial with the first axis, and about a fourth axis parallel with the roof.
The servo control units are connected with the turret, the gun, the target tracking unit, the data processor and with the fire control computer. The reference orientation means and the angle data transmitters are connected to the turret, the gun, the target tracking unit and with the fire control computer. The data processor is connected with the target tracking unit and with the fire control computer.
The fire control computer calculates aiming values for the gun, according to the angle and range data from the target tracking unit, and according to orientation data from the reference orientation means. The fire control computer operates the servo control units according to the calculated aiming values.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,730 issued to Hawkes et al., and entitled “Rapid Aiming Telepresent System” is directed to a system for remotely aiming a firearm at a target. The system includes a hand controller, display means, a pointing device and a control unit. The hand controller includes a portable viewfinder, a two-axis joystick, stereo headphone speakers, visual indicators, a tactile signal generator, and a plurality of controls. The display means includes two computer display screens. The pointing device includes a firearm, a carriage, a base, a first rotational mount, a second rotational mount, a first linear actuator and a second linear actuator. The control unit includes a microprocessor.
The firearm is mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the base by the first rotational mount and the second rotational mount. The first linear actuator is attached to the base and to the carriage. The second linear actuator is attached to the first rotational mount and to the carriage. The first rotational mount rotates the carriage along a first axis which is approximately vertical. The second rotational mount rotates the carriage along a second axis which is approximately horizontal.
The hand controller is connected to the control unit by a transmission cable. The control unit transmits electrical control signals to the first linear actuator and to the second linear actuator, via control signal transmission means. The computer display screens display a live video image of the area in the vicinity of the target as well as the current pointing direction. The user operates the hand controller according to the images on the computer display screens. The control unit sends electrical control signals to the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, to actuate the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, according to the signals received from the hand controller. The first linear actuator and the second linear actuator move the carriage along the first axis and the second axis, respectively. The control unit produces a first audio signal and a second audio signal at the stereo headphone speakers, according to the actuation speed of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, respectively.